Machine for producing printing-surfaces.



No. 882,704. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

A LYLE & G. OWENS.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING PRINTING SURFACES.

PPLIGATION FILED FEB. 2 1907. A 0 5 SHEETS-SHEET}.

lllllllllllrlll lllll llllllul J W W No. 882,704. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. A. LYLE & G. OWENS.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING PRINTING SURFACES. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1907.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. LYLE & 0. OWENS.

MACHINE FOR PRODUOING PRINTING SURFACES.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1907.

5 BHEETSSEEET 3.

No. 882.704. IPATENTZED MAR. 24, 1908.

A. LYLE & G. OWENS. MACHINE FOR PRODUCING PRINTING SURFACES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1907.

5 $HEETS-$HEBT 4.

N0 882,704. v PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. A. LYLE & O. OWENS.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING PRINTING SURFACES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ALEXANDER LYLE AND CHARLES UWENS, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE; SAD} LYLE ASSIGNORTO DWIGHT P. MONTAGUE, OF GHATIANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING PRINTING-SURFACES.

Application filed February 20, 1907. Serial No. 358,376;

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at we, ALEXANDER LYLE and CHARLES OWENS, citizens of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Machines for Producing rintin -Surfaces, of which the following is a s eci cation.

. ur invention relates to machines for formmg raised printing surfaces on metal and the like for use in addressing machines for applying addresses to magazines, newspapers and other articles to be sent through the mails.

In carrying out our invention we employ key operated mechanism associated with die carrying wheels which wheels are driven by suitable power connections and which are adapted to receive between them the blanks to have the impressions made thereon, the said die wheels being so controlled through connections leading to the keys that they are arrested in different ositions correspondin to the keys operate and when so arrested the driving power is transferred from the rotatin mechanism to means whereby, the die whee s are brought together for making the I from the key-board for ine spacing.

The invention consists in the features, combination, and arrangement of-)artsl1ereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

In the accompanying dr.awings,Figure 1 .is a front view of a machine embodying our invention.' Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section along the shafts of the die wheels and showing also the bank of finger keys and the connections leading therefrom for controlling the operation of the die wheels and associated parts. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1, the plane of this section being just Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

above the surface of the feedtable for the blanks and in the lane of the space between the die wheels. verse sectional view substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional .view substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2,

looking towards the left. Fig. 5 is a view 7 of one of the stencil blanks. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the hopper for the blanks upon which the raised printing surfaces are to be formed together with one of the feed Wheels or disks, and a part of the feed slide or table which cooperates therewith. Fig. 7 is a plan view of part of the feed mechanism. ig. 8 is a side view of apart of the feeding mechanism partl in section. Fig. 9 is a detail of the carriage feed. Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views. I

In these drawings, 1-2 indicate the die wheels between which the blanks of sheet metal or other material are fed to have the raised rinting surfaces formed thereon said die Wlieels carrying ooacting male and female (lies. These die wheels each comprise two members between which the dies are clam ed, one of these members 1 2 is forms with a hub keyed or otherwise fastened to its shaft, marked respectively, 5-6, and the other member consists of a ring or plate 1-?. held in place by bolts 7 and drawn against the dies whichlie between these two members. A hardened steel ring 8 lies between the two members of the die wheel and these rings are designed to sustain the thrust and wear incident to the acti n of the dies which have their inner ends resting against the periphery of these rings. The holding of the dies between the two members is completed and rendered more effective by the screws 9 located near the periphery of the die wheels and extending from one member into the other. The die wheels are driven in unison through the gears 1011 and power is communicated to the hollow shaft 5 of the up er die wheel through the clutch 12 to be hereinafter described from a shaft 13 extending through the hollow shaft 5 and having thereon the driving toothed. wheel or sprocket 14 which is driven from any suitable source of power, as for instance, the shaft 15 having thereon the ig. 4 is a vertical transtoothed wheel 16 which may be connected rods 25 and the stop or controlling pins 2? die wheel, as shown in Fig. 2.

we have provided means whereby depression of a finger key reprei g are desired letter, the rotary motion of the die wheels is arrested so that these die brought into osition with the ythe depressed in n registered position an die action or that of making the raised t character on the metal blank which miles between them. 7 I

The arresting of the die wheels in proper registered position is performed through the operation-of a finger key, a bank of such proper alinement or keys being represented-lat 18, the levers of which are connected through rods 19 with levers 20 one for each ke pivoted at 21 to brackets or ears 22 carrie in a ring or frame 23 winch in turnis supported on the frame work 24 of the machine. From the levers .26, rods 25 one for each key extend to stop pins 26, slidably mounted in a frame or ring 27, winch is supported in the main frame of g connections just described on the release of the keys. The stop or controlling plus 26 are arranged in: a circle adjacent the periphery of afdisk or wheel 34 fixed to or formed with the. hollow. shaft 5 of the u per This disor wheel has pivoted thereto a bell crank lever 35, one end of which lies opposite the circle in which the stop or controlling pins lie, and the other arm of said'lever enters an opening 36 in a sliding wedge block 37, which is guided to move radially of the wheel or disk within a bracket or boxing 38. This wedge block carries a projection 39 extending through a slot 40 in the Wheel or disk 34 and when the wedge block is moved radially inward the projection 39 will engage with an arm 41, which carries a clutch piece or. block 42 normally engaging the toothed clutch12, before mentioned, the said clutch Wheel having ratchet like teeth as shown in Fig. 4. The arm 41 is guided at the end of the hub of the wheel 34 between said hub and a plate- 43 screwed thereto. A spring 44 tends constantly to hold the clutch iece 42 in engagernentvdth the clutch whee 12 on the driving shaft 13 and thus throiigh this connection upper die wheel is driven, and from the sh t of which through the gears 10-11 and l 6 the lower die wheel is driven in corresponding to the etter representedw ready to perform 4 wards the right in Fig. 2 against the tension operated inwardlyto release the clutch just described by means of the lever 35 striking against any one of .the stop or controlling pins 26, which may have been projected inwardly or towards the right in Fig. 2 upon the depression of one of the keys at the keyboard. The relation of the parts when this is about to occur. is indicated in Fig. 5, it

being understood that the projected stop or controlling pin then lies directly in the path of the end of the'lever 35 which is being carried around by the rotation of the wheel '34 moving in unison with the die wheels.

\ It will be understood that the contact between the bell crank lever 35 and the rojected stop or controlling pin is a" iel ing one for the reason that the Wedge lockis free to move inwardly andito move the arm 41 of the clutch piece or block against the tension of the spring 44 and thus when the lever 35 strikes one of the projected controlling or stop pins, the parts will be relieved ing together of the diewheels is also controlled through the operation of the stop or controlling pins and the Wedge block above described. For this purpose we arrange a slidable sleeve 45 about the shaft of the up- 1 per die wheel arranged to slide directly upon the shaft bearing 46. This sleeve is pro vided at its end with a flange 47 having an inclined or curved front face in position to be borne upon by the incline 48 of the wedge block when this is pressed inwardly through the action of the sto or controlling in and the lever 35, above escribed. The s eeve is by the action of the wedge block moved toof its returning spring 49 and this movement is imparted through a bracket or projection 50' fixed to the sleeve and borne upon by a lever 51 pivoted at 52 to a frame bracket 53, said lever being connected ivotally to an arm or lever 54 extending own to control a second clutch mechanism which controls the closing of the dies upon the blank. This clutch mechanism is constructed and arranged' to impart to the die closing device tinned. "The cross head frame carries the ranged within openings in boxes 59.

these boxes a cross head frame 60 rests and cross head frame 60 and depress the same so eration of the clutch mechanism for accommen'iber 7 2 attached to or formed with one of the guide ways 61 for the lower cross head eccentric shaft through the clutch 58 to be i presently described. The eccentrics are ar- Upon this frame is slidably mounted in'vertical extensions 61 of the standard 57 above Inen bearings 62 for the shaft 6 of the lower die wheel. The eccentric shaft 56 is held to the standard portion 57 by a cap piece 63. it will be understood. that one com lete revolution of the eccentric shaft wil raise the that for this one revolution the lower die wheel will be given an up and down movement so as to perform itsdie action and return to its lower and normal position.

Returning now to the construction and 0p plishing this die action, and returning the lower die to normal position, it will be seen that the clutch comprises the toothed wheel 58 on the shaft extending through the hollow shaft of the eccentrics, the said toothed wheel coo aerating with a clutch block 64 carried by the slide 65 mounted to move between a face plate 66 and the face of the box or enlargement 67 at the end of the eccentric" carrying shaft. The clutch slide 65 carries a pin as which is normallyheld in its uppermost position to maintain the clutch released, as shown in Fig. 2 by a flange or rest 69 on a trip lever 70 pivoted at 71 to a frame frame. This trip lever is under (tension of a spring 73 tending to move its lower end to- 'ards the left in Fig. 4, and it is provided with an arm 74 arranged to be borne upon by the lower end of the rod 54, above mentioned, so that upon the depression of this rod, which as above described, occurs substantially simultaneously with the cessation of the rotary'movement of the die wheels, the trip lever 70 will be operated to swing the lower end thereof towards the right and withdraw its iiange or supporting surface 69 from beneath the pin 68 so that the clutch slide' 65 under the tension of its spring will be free to move downwardly and throw the clutch block carried thereby into connection with the toothedwheel 58 and. thus connect the constantly rotating shaft 58 with the sleeve or shaft 56,carrying the eccentrics 55 with the result above mentioned that the lower die wheel will be moved upwardly to cooperate with the upper die wheel and form the raised prii'iting surface or device upon the blank which has been moved into position between the die wheels;-

The downward movement of the operating rod. 54 also results inthe release of the said rod from the arm 74 of the triplever allowing tracted within its guide ring immediate return of the said. trip lever to its effective or operative position as soon. as l it has performed its function of throwing in the clutch for the closing of the dies; This release of the rod' 54 from the trip lever is accomplished by a cam surface 75 formed in a bracket or plate 76 suitably su ported upon the frame member 7 2, upon W ich cam surface rides a pin 73 carried by a portion of the rod 54 so that upon the downward movement of the rod 54 it will press down u on the rod 74. and simultaneously therewitll its lower end will be gradually moved laterally from over the said arm 74 to release the same after the trip lever has released the pin 68 for the setting of the die-elevating clutch. This will allow the trip lever to resume its former position under the action of its spring 73, it being arrested by its arm 74 coming against a suitable stop, as for instance at 77. It is now in position to release the clutch after the die elevating mechanism has erformed onerevolution and has returned t re lower die to normal position. This release of the die elevat ing clutch is perfori'ned by a roller 78 on the clutch slide 65 engaging a fixed cam 79 on the frame of the machine. This cam by acting against the roller 78 will raise the slide 65 against the tension of its spring and thus bring the pin 68 into range of the flange or rest 69 on the tri lever, and this being slightly inclined will complete the lifting of the clutch slide and the release of the die ele vating clutch, and as above indicated, when this action takes place the lower die has been returned to its normal lower position and the parts are ready for another action.

7 During the operations above described, it will be understood that the key which has been depressed has been maintained in depressed position with its corresponding stop or controlling pi n projected, and as a result of this the dies have been arrested in their rotary movement and have closed to make the impression after which the lower die has returned to its normal position. Now, upon the release of the depressed key the stop or controlling pin corresponding thereto is re- 27 and the returning spring 49 now excrtingits force moves the sleeve 45 towards the left, Fig. 2,

thus ressim u iwardlv the wed e block bv b 1 117 v 'to be operated on to bring another portion I thereof between the dies or the replacing of the blank already operated upon by another blank.

One important feature of our arrangement and organization of parts is that the operations are carried on without shock and without strain or wear on the parts due to the momentum of the machine, when for instance the dies are brought into ahnement and are arrested, for it will be observed that the mo' mentuin' of the .machine under these conditions 1s absorbed by the closing action of the dies, or in other words, the power is trans-.

' connected by a link 86 'with the arm 74, so

that the trip lever may, by depressing the key 80, be held in its extreme right-hand position, Fig. 4, so that it will not engage with the pin 68 when this is lifted by the roller 78 and cam 79, but on the contrary will permit the immediate reengagement of the clutch block and clutch wheel 58 as soon as the roller 78 leavesthe cam 79, and thus the dies will be brought together for a second action, the blank having been moved to a different position to receive the second impression alongside of the first.

We will now describe the-means for feeding and supporting the blanks in proper position to receive the impressions. The lanks upon which the impressions are made for forming stencil plates consist of thin sheet metal pieces having their edges turned over as represented at 87. These stencil plates or blanks are placed one upon the other in a hopper composed of the sides 88 secured to the frame at 89 in any suitable manner.

These sides have flanges 90 projectin interally to form ways 91 down which th eTolanks eed by gravity with the turned over edges directed downwardly. The blanks are received upon feed wheels or disks 92, one at each end of the blank, said wheels having.

each a pocket or recess 93 for receiving the blanks and for moving them downwardly to a reciprocating feed slide composed of the bars 9 1- and adapted to be moved in the ways 95 supported as will be hereinafter described.

In the rotation of the feed wheels the lowermost blank is moved from beneath the pile of blanks in the hopper and carried around by the said feed wheels between the same and the shield or flange 96 Fig. 6 formed on each of the sides of the hopper. The feed wheels are given a rotary reciprocating motion through the rack 114 and segmental gear 115 hereinafter mentioned, each .movement being a half revolution,so that the blank carried by the feed wheels is moved from the hopper to a position below the feed wheels and in this action it is reversed in position so that the turned over edges of the blank face 1 upwardly. The blanks are delivered by the feed wheels upon feed arms 97 Figs. 6, 7 and 8 pivoted at 98 to the slide bars 94 and under tension of the springs 99, tending to press the feed arms upwardly. Each feed arm is provided with a finger 100 at its end adapted to grasp the edge of the blank to feed it into the machine and between the die wheels, this feed finger presenting an upwardly extending shoulder 101 to press against the edge of the blank. The spring arms 97 exert a controlling influence on the blanks while they are being moved by the feed Wheels and 7 while they are leaving the shield 96 and are assuming a horizontal position, and when this horizontal position is reached the blanks will leave the recess 93 on the feed wheels and rest upon the upper surface of the spring arms with its edge against the shoulder 101 of the finger 100 ready to be carried into the machine thereby. In order to hold the blanks on to the spring 'HIHS, we provide pins or grippers 102 carried by a spring arm 103 attached to the slide bar at 104. This spring arm has a cam shaped portion 105, which, when the feed slides retract or move outwardly to receive a new blank upon the feed arms 97, will ride against a projection 106, Fig. 4 which is on the lower part of the hopper and bears a fixed relation to the reciprocating parts of the feed mechanism. By the action of the cam 105 against this projection the gripper pins 102 are moved outwardly or are retracted so that the lower blank fed by the feed wheels 92 will be free to rest u on the feed arms 97, but as soon as the feed s ides begin their inward movement to' carry the blanks between the dies, the earn 105 by leaving the projection 106 will allow the spring arm 103 to exert its force and move the gripper pins over the upper surface of the blank resting on the feed arms, so that the said blank will be securely held by the combined action of the feed arms and gripper pins and will be accurately conveyed to the proper position between the dies.

The n ward movement of the feed arms is limited 12y a pin 107-working in a recess or slot in the feed arms The feed slides are connected together to move as one body by a table portion 108, and reciprocating motion is imparted to the feed slides by rack'bars 109 secured thereto and meshing with an elongated gear 110 on a shaft-111 journaled in suitable bearings 112 in a su plemental frame 113. The feed slides and the feed wheels move in unison and are ke t in proper time with each other by a rack ar 114 secured to rack bar 109'and meshing with a segmental gear 115 on the shaft 116 of the feed wheels, which shaft extends between the said feed wheels and is journaled in the sides Both of the feed wheels are" 1 For rotating the gear 110 to give a reciproline of characters thereon.

eating movement to the feed mechanism, the shaft 111 of the said gear is connected to a gearing 118 with a shaft 119 extending in close proximity to the key board andhaving a crankor hand lever 120 by which the operator may rotate this driving mechanism just described and reciprocate the feed slides or feed carriage.

In order to discharge the stencil which has been formed by the action of the dies on the blank, the feed carriage or slides are given a further movement inwardly to carry the stencil from between the die wheels and to the point where the edge of the stencil is grasped by the discharge detents 121 pivoted in brackets 122 on the frame, the said detents having tail pieces 123 which limit their downward movement and which maintain them by gravity in the position shown in Fig. 4 ready to grasp the ed e of the stencil when movedthereunder. y these means the completed stencil will be discharged from the machine. It will be understood .that this action does not take place until after the necessary lines of impressions have been made in the blank and the stencil has been completely formed.

W e have provided automatically operat ing mechanism for shifting the feed carriage or slide laterally'so as to bring different parts ofthe blank between the dies for making a This automatic action takes place after each die action, and

- of course at this time the feed carriage or slides are in their inward position, and the rack 114 is out of enga ement with the segmental gear 115. The eed carriage is adapt ed to have the necessary lateral movement on the frame 113 for which. purpose it is supportedon the said frame by means of rollers 124 bearing on the rods 113 forming parts of the frame 113, the said rollers being supported in brackets 125 secured to the slides or parts of the feed carriage. The carriageis under tension of a spring in a barrel 126 suitably jonrnaled on the frame and having 'a band 127 extending therefrom and conslidably, this mechanism forming in itselfno part of my invention and being similar in all respects to an ordinary typewriter escapement mechanism.- This escapement mechanism is operated automatically from the cross head. frame 60, which raises and lowers the lower die for which purpose we ward movement of the e'scapement forked at 137 to embrace a rod 138 and rest on an enlargement 139 of said rod so that as the cross head frame is raised the forked end of the lever will be depressed drawing down the escapement pawls so that the sliding 1 member will be withdrawn from engagement with the rack bar and will spring forward to get opposite. the next tooth and upon the lowering of the cross head frame the escapernent pawls will be raised to throw the swinging pawl out of engagement and the sliding pawl into enga ement, whereupon the carria e spring wil draw the carriage to the le t of Fig. 1 until arrested by the sliding pawl coming against the stop in the ordinary manner. 1 The 11 aws just described which occurs on the ownward movement of the cross head frame is derived from a spring 139 connected at one A end to a fixed arm 140 and to the tail piece at its other end of the vertical swinging pawl 131. By this escapement mechanism after each die action the feed carriage is moved towards the left, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, so that the next die action will make an impression alongside of the previously made impression to. form the characters of a word or the lineof type or raised printing surface.

We have also provided means for releasing the carriagefrom its escapement mechanism by sup pivote iece 142 pivoted at t e u or end of a stan ard 143 at the point 144. urther, by swinging the pawls as one body on this pivot 144 the carriage is free to move to the left under the action of its spring to the desired extent. In order to swin these pawls out of engagement, we provi e a pin 145 projecting therefrom to be borne upon by an eccentric or slightly cranked portion 146 of a shaft 147 journaled in the bracket 148 and having ears 149 attached thereto and pivoted to parts of the carriage frame at 150 and by turning this shaft bya finger lever 151 this will bear upon the pin. 145 and press the same laterally together with the escapement pawl, thus completely releasing the carriage.

In order to operate the escapement mechanism from the ke board to give a step by step laterally shifting movement to the carriage, we provide an arm 152 on a shaft 153 suitably journaled in parts of the frame, the said arm being connected with the lower end of the escapement o crating rod 138 before described. The sha t 153 is connected to an arm 154 and link 155 with an arm 156 on a rock shaft 157 suitably journaled in the frame and carrying another arm 158 connected by a link 1.59 with an arm 160 fixedto a lever or a frame 161 pivoted to the main orting the escapement awls upon a the lower die to make the impression is turned to normal position by a spring 165,-

connected to the frame at one, end and to the arm 166 extending from a part of the space frame. I

In order to give a step by step inward movement to the carriage for line spacing, we provide a key 167 at the key-board, the

lever of which is pivoted at 168 and at its rear end is connected with a link 169, which is in turn connected with a pawl at 170 pivoted at 171 to a suitable part of the front frame with its end in position to engage the teeth of gearing 118 so that by depressing this key the train of mechanism leading to the gear 111 will beoperated to move the carriage inwardly. It will be seen that the gear 111 is of elongated form so as to permit the lateral shifting of the carriage to take place for letter spacing.

From the above description it will be seen that we have provided amachine having certain characteristics of a typewriter in that the letter keys are operated corresponding to the address or the matter to be impressed upon the blanks and that with this mechanism We have combined'certain power transmitting devices whereby when the impression is to be made the power is exerted en tirely independent of any power exerted by the o erator, in manipulating the keys so that t e impressions can be made upon metal or other material which will maintain ermanently the raised printing surface or c iaracters impressed therein.

It will be understood that the shaft 58 for raising the cross head frame and lifting drivenconstantly through the gears 58 58 from the shaft 15, but as above set forth this shaft is normally disconnected from the eccentric shaft and the cross head frame, and

together with the lower die wheel is in its lowest position normally. This cross head frame is of considerable weight and whenl the power is transferred from the connections which rotate the die wheels to the clutch this arrangement, as at the moment the die wheels are arrested, the momentum of the machine and the power are transferred tothe cross head frame which must be lifted thereby. Another important feature of our arrangement is the yielding quality of the bell crank sto lever 35, which, when it strikes one of t e stop pins 26 yields to the extent necessary to force the wedge 37 downwardly against the sleeve 45 and retract the same against the tension of its ls'rin The wed e block must also over- P g g come the tension of the spring 44 and by reason of this a cushioning effect 13 secured. A further important feature of our invention I is that We drive the shaft 58 and the clutch ratchet 58 at a high rate of speed, namely,

,from two to four times as fast as the shaft 13 :andratchet wheel 12, this being due to the relative diameters of the drivi'ng'and driven wheels 14 and 58 and as the one clutch is thrown .out of operation and the die wheels arrested in their rotation while the other clutch is thrown into operation to make the impression, the result is that said impression is made practically at the instant the dies are brought into proper position and arrested,

so that even were there any tendency to rebound the closing of the die wheels takes place so quickly that the impression would be made before this rebound could occur.

Reverting to the timing of the feed wheels or disks 92 in relation to the feed slide, it will be understood that when the feed wheels i have been turned so that the recesses 93 therein for receiving the blank have reached their upper position beneath the pile of blanks, the feed slide or carriage in contact with the blank is then in proper position to .hold the blank between the dies to be oper ated on.

neath the pile within the hopper conveying The feeding of the blanki from lie-- it to the feed slide or carriage and deposited automatically controlled by the carriage.

The feed arms 97 as above stated yield when receiving the blanks from the feed wheels, and they derive theiryicldi ig movement directly from the blank itself instead of being operated from independent mechanism.

It is of course important that each die when mounted in the die wheels is exactly the same height from the center of the said -wheel as the other dies, and for this reason -we make the die wheels of the three parts above described, and it will be noticed from Fig. 10 that the member l' is provided with radial ribs between which the dies are located. .The thrust ring "8 fits within the recess at the inner end of these ribs and thrust ring rests upon the hub of the die wheel, which hub is extended to afford a centering bearing for the ring cr p late i,

= thereon in engagement with the feed arms is vwhich clamps the dies between itself and the plate or ring 1 of the die wheel.

impression surface in a plane parallel with the plane of the face of the die when in position to operate a sliding; support, whereby the impression members are brought together, guide means at each end of said support whereby the parallel relation of the impression member and the die is maintained, means for driving the rotary die carrier and thevimprcssion means, sto means, keys and connections leading theretroin for operating, the stop means and means whereby the power is transferred from the rotating mechanism to the die closing; means, when the rotary movement is arrested by the stop,

substantially as described.

2. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a rotary the wheel, an impression member adapted to be elevated in res ect thereto, two constantly driven shafts, a c utch between one oi said shafts and the die wheel, a clutch between the other shalt, and the means for elevating the impression member, stop means for arresting the die wheel, and means for simultaneously throwing one clutch out of connection and the other clutch into connection, said stop means and clutch controlling means being operated from the keys, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a machine of the class described, a die carrier and an i1nprcssion member, means for rotating the die car rier, a clutch for controlling the said means, means for closing the die carrier and imprecsion means together, a clutch for controlling the said closing means, hey connections, stops arranged to be set thereby, and means to engage the said stops to arrest the movement'of the die wheel and to positively oper ate both of the said clutches to control the clutches, substantially as described.

' l In combination in a machine of the class described, a rotary die wheel, an impression member cooperating therewith, means for closing the die and impression member for the impression, a clutch control ling said means, a clutch controlling the rotary movement of the die, keys, stops arranged to be set thereby, and a coacting stop device rotating with the die wheel and arranged to have movement-on strikin one of, the stois, both of the said led from said coacting clutches being contro thereof substantially stop, by the movement as escribed.

5. In combination in a machine of the class described, a rotary die ca rier, key connections, stops arranged to be set thereby, the stop member rotating with the die carrier, said stop member being adapted to yield, and a clutch controlled by the yieldin movement of said stop member, and in turn controlling the rotary movement or stoppage of the die wheel, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the rotary die wheels, a clutch controlling the rotary movement of yield ing movement against the force of the said springs when said stop means strikes one ot the key actuated stops, substantially as described.

7. In combination in a machine of the class described, a die carrier, an impresssion member, means for closing the impression member upon the die carrier, including a clutch with means for disconnecting the said clutch automatically when the impression member has returned to normal position, and connections whereby the said clutch may remain connected for a plurality of impression actions in succession, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a machine of the class described, adie carrier, an impression member, a shaft and clutch for rotatingthe die carrier, means for elevating the impression member, a shaft and clutch for driving said elevating means, means for,driving the said latter shaft at a higher rate of speed than the die carrier driving-shaft, means for arresting the die carrier and means for thro ingone clutchv into operation and the other out, substantially as (lGStTlbGd.

9. In combination in a machine of the class described, a rotary die carrier, driving means therefor, including a clutch, key controlled stops, and a yielding stop member carried with the rotary die carrier to engage the said stops, substantially as described.

10. In combination in a machine of the class described, atrotary die carrier, an impression member, means for rotating the die, including a clutch, means for closing, the im pression member and the die carrier, including a clutch, a sliding sleeve connected to the latter clutch, sto s, keys controlling the same, a bell crank lever moving with the die carrier to engage the stops, a sliding wedge operated by the bell cranh lever, said. wedge being adapted to operate the clutch of the die carrier and to also operate the said sleeve, substantially as described.

11. In combination in a machine of the character described, a die carrier, an impression member, means for closing the said die carrier and impression member, including a clutch, a trip lever for holding the clutch normally inactive, means for operating the said, trip lever .to release the clutch, said means; then freeing the trip lever so that it may at; once return to normal position, substalk tially as described.

12. In combination in a machine of the character described, a die carrier, an impression member, means for closing the said die carrier and impression member, including a clutch, a trip lever for holding the clutch normally inactive, means for operating the said. trip lever to release the clutch, said means then freeing the trip lever so that it may at.

once return. to normal position, and means for releasing the clutch and, placing it under the control of the trip lever, substantially as described.

13. In combination in a machine of the character described, a die carrier, an impression member, means for closing the said die carrier and impression. member, including a clutch, a trip lever for holding the clutch nor- I the impression, a clutch control ing said rais-' mally inactive, means for operating the said trip lever to release the clutch, said meansv then freeing the tnip lever so that it may at once return to normal position, and means for throwing the said trip lever out of normal position to permit a continuous action of the clutclr substantially as described.

14.,In combination in a machine of the character described, a rotary die wheel, a hollow shaft carrying the same, a second rotary die wheel or impression member, a r0- tary shaft carrying the saint, gearing between the shafts of the said die wheels, a

shaft 13, a clutch between the same and the hollow shaft of the die wheel, a vertically movable support for the second die wheel, means for raising the said support to effect ing means, and key controlled means, for operating the said clutchcs, substantially as described.

15. In combination, a hopper, carrier means for the blanks, comprising a yielding class described, die means, a movable frame carrying one of the die members, a carriage, means operated by the movement of said frame to give the carriage a step by step movement, and key operated connections for giving the carriage a step by step movement, su stantially as described."

18. In combination, a hopper, a feed wheel having a recess to receive the blanks, a reciprocating carriage and a. feed arm pivoted at one end and under spring tension-to receive the blanks from the feed wheel, and to yield. in said action. substantially as described.

19. In combination in a machine of the class described, a reciprocating carriage, yielding feed. arms thereon to grasp the blank, grippers to overly the blank, spring supports carrying the said grippers, and means for moving the said spring supports and grippers to one side when the carriage is moved forward to receive a fresh blank, substantially as described. 1

20. In combination in a machine of-the/ class described, a die carrier, an impression member, a frame carrying the said impression memben. means for guiding the said frame vertically, an eccentric shaft, 2. drive shaft within the same, a clutch between the said eccentric shaft and drivev shaft, and means controlling the said clutch, substantially as described.

21. In'combination in va machine of the class described, a rotary die carrier, an impression member, driving means including clutch mechanism, key controlled stops and a yielding stop member to arrest the rotary movement of the die carrier and means whereby the yielding action or movement of the stop member controls the clutch mechanism, s ubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER LYLE. CHARLES oWENs 

